Gifted singer, songwriter and the connective thread that runs through the memories of our lives, Gordon Lightfoot, has died. He was 84.
A gifted Canadian artist from ordinary means, Mr. Lightfoot’s hits include, “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Early Morning Rain,” “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” and “Sundown,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1974.
“Sometimes I wonder why I’m being called an icon, because I really don’t think of myself that way,” Mr. Lightfoot told The Globe and Mail in 2008. “I’m a professional musician, and I work with very professional people. It’s how we get through life.” (NYT)
One of his great song lines, …”the hero would be me, but heroes often fail.” Gordon Lightfoot’s songs are sprinkled throughout multiple links in the chain of our lives. Each song reminding us of our memory attached to the moments of it. This passing hits a little harder.
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Thank you. The only songs of this artist’s that I know are Sundown, If You Could Read My Mind (gives me chills), and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald. While I enjoyed all three of those I never went farther into this man’s works, shame on me.
Look how still that audience is. Sure, they were probably admonished, but it’s nevertheless interesting to see people functioning as an audience and not as performers.
Gordon Lightfoot had a gift and I appreciated his music greatly.
A Canadian National Treasure. I have almost all of his recordings, and yes, it was a hit when I learned of his passing, but I knew he was not in good health and to be expecting the bad news. May he rest in peace. Gordon will be sorely missed.
The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned
Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
Then later that night when the ship’s bell rang
Could it be the north wind they’d been feelin’?
The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
When the wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too
‘Twas the witch of November come stealin’
The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the gales of November came slashin’
When afternoon came it was freezing rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind
When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck
Saying, “Fellas, it’s too rough to feed ya.”
At seven PM a main hatchway caved in
He said, “Fellas, it’s been good to know ya.”
The captain wired in he had water comin’ in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
RIP Gordon, you will be remembered.
As a USCG sailor, that song hits home. I was stationed on Michigan, not Superior, but we had calls too and I remember that night, a hell of a storm.
Always thought “does any man know where the love of God goes when the waves turn the minutes to hours” was the most haunting line in a song…ever.
We made a big loop, drove through Wisconsin and Michigan a few years ago on our annual trip to see family in Illinois. As we continued on the secondary roads of the UP there were signs for Whitefish, and immediately I heard in my head “The searchers all say they’d have made Whitefish Bay if they’d put 15 more miles behind’em”…what power.
I turned off the smoke detectors in his dressing room so he could smoke grass in comfort in my venue.
Great concert. Great guy.
If you Could Read My Mind and Sundown are my favorites.
Rest in peace Gordon.
GL had gig dates booked in Florida in June. Buddy was a specimen. That’s Canuck for a man being a Man’s Man.
I am from MN and the “Fitzgerald” is lore around here.
I can guarantee He welcomed him.
One of my earliest memories involves Gordon Lightfoot. I was riding in the car with my parents and I remember “Sundown” was on the radio. I always liked that song. They broke into the song to talk about Three Mile Island. My Mom was frantic. She’s always been that way though. And I just wanted to finish listening to Sundown
Trained out of the old Detroit Boat Club on Belle Isle back in the 80s and we generally rowed on the Canadian side of the island right next to the shipping lane. Used to “race” the iron boats to avoid the wakes. Perspective is seeing one of these behemoths while sitting a 14” beam racing single from 75 yards away. Fitzgeralds sister ship, Arthur Andersen, frequently transited. Then would shower up and drive to work past the old Seaman’s Church (the “maritime sailors cathedral”). RIP
Very cool memories!
This reminds me of boating in the Galveston (TX) ship channel in my teens in a 14-ft jon boat, straining my neck to look up to the top of the huge ships. I felt like a beetle moving slowly next to the human, waiting for the beast to crush me. Took a few years before that anxiety gave way to realization that the beasts don’t just suddenly start moving… only needed to watch out for the cruisers…
There’s a video on YT of Mr. Lightfoot performing If You Could Read My Mind on The Midnight Special. It’s worth searching for.
Always loved that line. Next line I think “The hero would be me”.
Circle of Steel, favorite song. The greatest hits double album is one of the best of all time. Another artist of my youth gone.
‘Sundown’ is a masterpiece of songwriting. It is also a deceptively tough, mean song, similar to ‘Cinderella’ by Firefall. It was unusual at the time, and remains so today.
Of course, by title alone this could now serve as the theme song for the current administration.
Ah, the memories his songs bring back from those carefree days. RIP Gordon, and thank you for your great music.
Carefree Highway
Sometimes I think about the Bible verse that says “…then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth”, and I think well maybe I can be in this place where I can be young again, with my childhood friends, and listen to the great music that was here on this Earth, and be in places I used to be which no longer exist, etc.
I always wax nostalgic during times of reminiscing, especially on the death of Gordon Lightfoot, and others of his caliber. Sigh…
Every time I drive by the Carefree Highway in Phoenix I sing that song in my head, BTW my classmate is Kim Hasse and was his wife in the end. RIP